Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अथ ते समयं कृत्वा रात्रौ निष्क्रम्य सागरात् । निर्जघ्नुस्तापसांस्तत्र यज्ञदानरतान्प्रिये

Transliteration

atha te samayaṃ kṛtvā rātrau niṣkramya sāgarāt | nirjaghnustāpasāṃstatra yajñadānaratānpriye

Translation

Dann schlossen sie einen Bund, traten nachts aus dem Ozean hervor und erschlugen dort die Asketen, die dem Opfer und der Gabe hingegeben waren, o Geliebte.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• समयम्: agreement/plan
• समयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• निष्क्रम्य: having come out
• निष्क्रम्य: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निस् + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-अर्थक अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having gone out)

• सागरात्: from the ocean
• सागरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• निर्जघ्नुः: slew/killed
• निर्जघ्नुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• तापसान्: ascetics
• तापसान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• यज्ञदानरतान्: devoted to sacrifice and charity
• यज्ञदानरतान्: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (yajña-dāna) + रत (attached to): 'devoted to sacrifices and gifts'

• प्रिये: O dear one
• प्रिये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; प्रिय-शब्दः (address)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At night, daityas emerge from the sea in stealth, moving toward an ascetic settlement; they strike down tapasvins engaged in yajña and dāna, fires flickering amid chaos.

Characters & Entities

• Kālakeyas (implied)
• Sāgara (ocean)
• Tāpasas (ascetics)
• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma especially targets yajña and dāna—the pillars of social and cosmic harmony—so their protection is central to Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The events unfold in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra milieu near the sea, setting the stage for the māhātmya of the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Yajña (sacrifice) and dāna (charity) are referenced as the ascetics’ practices, though no new prescription is issued in this verse.